Furnace for burning hydrocarbon fuels



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. BURNS. FURNACE FOR BURNING HYDROGARBON FUELS.

No 440,0'98. '7 Patented Nov. 4, 1890.-

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(No Mbdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. BURNS.

FURNACE FOR BURNING HYDROGARBON FUELS.

N0. 440.098. Patented NOV. 4, 1890.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN BURNS, OF ROCHESTER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. REY- NOLDS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

FURNACE FOR BURNING HYDROCARBON FUELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,098, dated November 4, 1890. Application filed November 23, 1889. Serial No. 331,335. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BURNS, ofRochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Hydrocarbon Fuels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in furnaces for steam-boilers and other appliances in which a high degree of heat is required to be generated by the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels; and the object of my invention is to provide a furnace in which the fuel and the inflammable gases emanating therefrom will be thoroughly and entirely consumed. This object I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my invention as applied to a steam-boiler setting. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section at the line VV on Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section at the line \V WV 011 Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a vertical section at the line X X on Fig. :2; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section at the irregular lines Y Y on Fig. 2 and Z Z on Fig. 3, the part on the left of the forward face of the bridge-wall being taken on the line Y Y and the part on'the right of said face being taken on line Z Z.

In the drawings, A designates the brickwork of my furnace as adapted to a steamboiler B. Said furnace comprises a primary combustion-chamber O, mixing-chamber D, and the series of air-flues and air-openings, constructed and arranged as hereinafter described.

The primary combustion-chamber O contains a tank E for holding water into which the hydrocarbon fuel is fed and floats to the top of said water, whereon it will form a film which, being ignited, burns on the surface of the water. Said water-tank is connected by a pipe 1 to a supply-tank F,located exteriorly of the brick-work of the furnace, so that the water and oilwhich are first fed into the outer tank F will flow into the inner tank E,wherein the water with a film of oil floating on its surface will be maintained at the level of the water contained in the tank F. That end of the pipe 1 which extends into the tank F is provided with a closed-top chamber 2, which is fixed in a vertical position to form a hood for an oil-supply pipe 3, that is fitted to deliver the oil into said chamber. From the latter the oil will pass through the pipe 1 into the tank E, wherein it will rise, by reason of its inferior gravity, to the surface of the water in said tank to replenish the oil in said tank as fastas it is consumed therefrom. The oil-supply pipe 3 is provided with a cock 4:, to which a float 5 is attached by means of a lever 6, said float being sustained on the surface of the water in the tank F, so as to rise.

and fall with the fluctuations of the waterlevel, and thereby automatically regulate the flow of oil from the pipe 3. The oil descending through the latter will be prevented by the closed top of the chamber 2 from rising to the surface of the water in the tank F; but will pass through the pipe 1 into the water in the tank E, wherein it will rise to the surface of the water to form a film thereon to supply the place of the oil which has been consumed. The water for supplying the tanks E and F passes through the water-supply pipe 7 and is delivered into the tank F, from whence it passes through the pipe 1 into the tank E. Said water-supply pipe is provided with a valve 8 by whichthe supply of water may be regulated to suit the requirements of the apparatus; but the tank F is provided with an overflow-opening 9, which will prevent the water from rising above an established level in either of said tanks. On either side of the tank E passages 10 are formed with perforations 11, leading into the body of said tank just below the film of oil in the tank, and into either or both of said passages either steam or air under pressure will be introduced in a heated condition to pass out of the perforations 11 into the tank E beneath the film of oil-that is to say, directly in contact with the lower surface of the oilto effect a vaporization of the heavier hydrocarbons and render the same combustible. Then air is to be introduced into said passages, a blower 12 or other suitable appliance is provided for that purpose, so that air under pressure can be forced into said passages. From the latter said air will emerge through the perforations 11, said air having first become heated in said passages, and will be discharged directly against the under side of the film of oil to eifect the vaporization of the heavier hydrocarbons, as hereinbefore set forth. When preferred, steam may be introduced into the passages 10, and for this purpose a steam-pipe 22 is provided, said steam producing the same effect as the compressed a1r, as above described. In cases where it is preferred steam and air can be used jointly in said passages, or steam in one passage and air in the other. Above the tank E the primary combustion-chamber C is widened out to extend over the passages 10, and thereby the landings 23 are formed. The tank E has a pipe 13 inserted therein to come just below the level of the under side of the oil film, and a steam-pipe 14 inserted in the pipe 13 to extend 1n a line with the center line of the latter, and said steam-pipe, in conjunction with a contracted throat in the pipe 13, operates as an injector, by which the unconsumed residuum of the hydrocarbon can be drawn from said tank and injected, in the form of spray or vapor, into the primary combustion chambor C, and fully consumed therein, and thereby the heaviest hydrocarbons, which would otherwise prove detrimental to the proper operation of this furnace, are fully utilized for promoting the generation of heat.

At the rear end of the combustion-chamber O a blank wall G is formed without having any openings at its upper portion for the passage of flame therethrough, and in this respect said wall diifers materially from the usual bridge-walls used in furnaces. Said wall is provided near its lower end with flameopenings 15 and with an opening which leads into the mixing or first auxiliary combustionchamber .D, whereinto the unconsumed in- .flammable gases which escape from the primary combustion-chamber C will mix with currents of heated air and thereby become ignited to be either partially or entirely consumed. The chamber D contains an air-flue 16, which is closed at the end next to the chamber 0, but is open at the opposite end, and said flue being exposed to the action of the flame which enters the chamber D the air which enters thereinto will become highly heated before it mixes with the unconsumed gases from the chamber 0. The air-flue 16 is provided in each of its side walls with a series of outlet air-openings 17, through which the heated air from the flue 16 will pass to commingle with the unconsumed inflammable gases from the chamber 0 and effect their ignition. The side walls of the chamber D are provided with a series of flame-openings 18, through which the flame produced by the ignition of the gases in said chamber D will pass into the auxiliary combustion-chamber I. The side walls of said chamber are each provided with an air-flue 19, into which airlines 20 lead to convey the external air in a heated condition into the flues 19. The latter are provided with a series of outlet airopenings 21, which lead into the chamber I, and which are preferably located so that one of said openings will come directly above each of the flame-openings 18, so that if the emerging flame should contain any unconsumed inflammable gas the required oxygen will be supplied to the flame to produce an ignition of the gases.

From the chamber I the heated products of combustion may be conveyed through the tubes of the boiler B or through any other suitable chamber or appliance to an escapeflue, through which said products may escape into the atmosphere.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a furnace for burning hydrocarbon fuels, the combination of a primary combustion-chamber, in which the primary combustion of the hydrocarbon is effected, an opentop water-tank contained in said furnace, one or more auxiliary combustion-chambers, in which the unconsumed inflammable gases which escape from said primary combustionchamber are ignited and burned, an oil-supply pipe which communicates with said water-tank, and air-fines for supplying heated air to .said auxilia'ry combustion-chamber, the first auxiliary combustion-chamber being provided with a centrally-located air-flue, having its inner end closed and its opposite end open, said air-flue being provided with a series of outlet air-openings leading into said auxiliary combustion-chamber, the walls of the latter being provided with flame-openings whereby the flames from said auxiliary combustion chamber pass into the adjoining chambers, as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In a furnace for burning hydrocarbon fuel, the combination of a primary combus- .tion-chamber, a water-tank contained in said chamber, an outer water-tank located exteriorly to the walls of the furnace, a pipe connecting said tanks whereby a supply of oil and water is conveyed into said inner tank, the outer end of said connecting-pipe being provided with a close-top chamber submerged in the water in said outer tank, and an oilsupply pipe fitted to deliver oil into said close-top chamber, whereby a water seal is established in said outer tank between the burning hydrocarbon and the oil-supply pipe, as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In a furnace for burning hydrocarbon fuel, the combination of a primary combustion-chamber, a water-tank contained in said chamber, an oil-supply-pipe fitted to deliver oil into said tank, and an injector having an induction-pipe which enters said tank on a line with the level of the hydrocarbon and having an eduction-pipe which enters said combustion-chamber slightly above the level of the burning hydrocarbon, whereby the resaid tank, and pipes leadinginto said passages siduum of the latter will be sprayed into the whereby steam or air under pressure, or a flames, as and for the purpose herein specified. mixture of both, can be forced into said pas- 4. In a furnace for burning hydrocarbon sages and through said perforations beneath 5 fuel, the combination of a primary combnsthe floating hydrocarbon in said water-tank, 15

don-chamber, a water-tank contained in the as and for the purpose herein specified. Y latter and provided with perforations 11, JOHN BURNS. formed slightly below the Water-level line, Witnesses: an oil-supply pipe fitted to deliver oil into WM. H. LOW,

10 said tank, passages 10, formed at the sides of S. B. BREWER. 

